The Roaring 20s To The Depressing 30sJeremy montanez

The Great Depression was a time of struggle and despair for many Americans lasting for ten years (1929-1939) Starting from the Wall Street crash of 1929 to the start of the Second World War. From the Roaring 20s to the Depressing 30s from the role of the U.S. Government all the way to the life at home everything changed.

The Economy

The Economy was one of the big causes of the Great Depression and was one that was hit hard by the Depression. In 1929 when the Stock Market Crashed, everyone’s investment dropped so low that everyone who invested began to owe the bank money from their loans since when they bought more products they did not pay for the full price and instead paid on credit with the “Buy Now Pay Later” way. This resulted to people not paying back what they had owed since they could not make enough money and businesses lost money, but continued to overproduce products. This was the same mistake farmers made after WW1 when they overproduced and the prices of their products went down and they lost money also they went in debt having to sell their land in the 20s and continued to suffer in the 30s, while businesses in the 30s had to layoff workers having them unemployed.

The Stock Market Crash of 1929

In October 1929 The Stock Market Crashed and had people's investments go way down and brought them in debt.

Cars of The 1920s

Cars in the 1920s that were payed on loan

Downfall of jobs and rise of unemployment

Many stores were out of business due to the stock market crash.

Rush to the Banks

When the stock market crashed people rushed to the banks to get what they had left

Unemployment of many

Since businesses were losing money they had to un employ many workers and then they went off looking for new jobs.

The down fall of the American people

Men had no jobs and could not take care of them selves

The Role of Government

The Role of Government also changed in the 1920s to the 1930s. At first it went under a Laissez Faire policy letting business go as they please without any regulations and not interfering with anything which also help lead to the stock market crash. President Herbert Hoover refused to help the people and have private companies to help them instead still believing that the gov should do nothing and stick to Laissez Faire and side with business. The government changed when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1933. The government began siding with the workers during labor unions instead of businesses.The government gave insurances for the elderly, unemployed, and more. The government made a bank holiday to close banks for four days and restocked them with money.The Government gave new jobs for the unemployed like building bridges, schools, and playgrounds. African American were given even more opportunities in the government during the 30s because of FDR that they even had a black cabinet. Women were given some advances in the government such as Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady, became a symbol for women’s rights by holding conferences for female reporters and urged her husband to bring more women to the government. The role of the government changed from being a watcher to being a fixer, but the government did not bring America out of the depression, it was the second world war that got them out.

Republican President Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover the President of the United States from the end of the 1920s to the beginning of the 1930s and believed in Laissez Faire policy letting business grow and unregulated which caused the Great Depression.

Hoover refused to help the people

President Herbert Hoover refused to help the people and rely on the people to bring them out of the Great Depression

Democrat President Franklin D Roosevelt "FDR"

FDR helped the people and did what he can to get the country out of the depression like making a bank holiday.

Bank closing and reopening

At First banks were forced to close and went out of business, but then FDR gave a bank holiday to close them and restock them

African Americans rise in government

During FDR's time as president he gave African Americans a new opportunity in the gov.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt gave opportunities to women reporters and urged FDR to give women more opportunities

Home Life

Life at home began to change for many Americans during the Great Depression such as the women’s independence, the farming conditions, and the conditions at home. In the 20s anyone could buy anything new and old since most of them bought on credit like the newest car, newest microwave, and the biggest house. In the 30s people had to sell their new houses and cars to try to make up the debt they had with the bank since they bought on credit. Many Americans became homeless and jobless ,and soon lived in shanty towns they called Hoovervilles after their president who did not help them with anything ,and left them behind. The farmers lived a good farm life in the 20s with more rain than what they were supposed to have and thought it was because there were more farmers coming to their region. Since farmers did not take care of their land properly and loosened the dirt on the ground, when the high winds came they carried the dirt in result of the dust storms and killed crops, animals and people. Farmers then resorted to migrating to California. African Americans had their own migration in the 20s from the south to the north for freedom and escape from the segregation in the south, but nearly got the same thing in the north. African Americans gained more power and a bit more safety since they were segregated to communities called ghettos.

Cars of the depression for sale

Since the stock market crashed people lost their cars by selling them

People lost homes and moved to hooverville

Since People lost their homes they moved to shanty towns called Hoovervilles after their president

Dust Storms created and devastates the great plains

Since Farmers got did not take care of the dirt and with high winds it formed the infamous dust storms

Dust Storms cause a new migration

The Dust Storms were so devastating that it resorted to the farmers moving to California

Leisure Time

Leisure time also changed in the 30s in reasons. People still listened to the radios but in the 30s it was all they had to do. For entertainment the people of the 30s could also play board games like monopoly in order to escape reality into a fantasy. Before people listened to the radio just for fun. The same thing went with the movies for both the 20s and 30s. Women used to go wherever and wherever they want as the rebellious flappers of the 20s with no responsibility. African Americans also changed in between with jazz music and their reasons for it. At first jazz in the 20s was for joy and to show what blacks can do and unite both blacks and whites with music along with the Harlem Renaissance.in the 30s however jazz was an escape from the reality of the depression.

Radios the only entertainment at home

People listened to radios in the 30s as an escape instead of for fun in the 20s

King Kong one of the escapes from the Great Depression to fantasy

In the 1930s people watched movies such as King Kong for an escape to their fantasy.

The new and rebellious Flappers of the 20s

In the 1920s women gained more independence as flappers being able to do what ever they want for enjoyment.

Louis Armstrong the Jazz musician

In the 1920s the new age of Jazz was born with the Harlem Renaissance

The great depression changed almost everything in America and their people in so many ways of life. The depression was so different for so many people in so many ways and if not for WW2 America might have not got out of the depression